Using rare earths to interpret certain fossils
Thursday, January 30, 2014 - 09:00
in Paleontology & Archaeology
Until now, interpreting flattened fossils was a major challenge. Now, a new approach for the analysis of such fossils has been developed by a team bringing together researchers from the IPANEMA unit (CNRS), the Centre de Recherche sur la Paléobiodiversité et les Paléoenvironnements (CNRS) and the SOLEIL synchrotron. This non-destructive method makes use of chemical elements known as rare earths. By locating and quantifying such elements in trace amounts, it is possible to improve interpretation of fossil morphology. This enabled the researchers to describe not only the anatomy but also the environment of preservation of three fossils of Cretaceous age.